Stitchless billfolds



Feb. 19, 1957 R. LANDDECK 2,781,810

STITCHLESS BILLFOLDS Filed March 1, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

19 7' TOR/MEWS.

Feb. 19, 1957 R. LANDDECK STITCHLESS BILLFOLDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1955 r/f/h/ag ENTOR. ./4% BY HTTORNEVS United States Patent 2,781,810 STITCHLESS BILLFOLDS Roland Landdeclr, West Bend, Wis., assignor to Enger- Kress Company, West Bend, Win, a corporation of Wisconsin 1 Application March 1, 1955, Serial No. 491,327

9 Claims. (Cl. 150-38) This invention relates to improvements in stitchless billfolds.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a completely stitchless billfold which may be easily assembled, and wherein all of the parts are neatly held in assembled position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a billfold of the class described having novel means for permitting expansion of the billfold so that it may accommodate itself to a greater or lesser number of bills.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a stitchless billfold wherein the front panels have downwardly foldable upper edge flaps which are connected to the inner side of a slide member by flexible tongues to prevent the flaps from creeping upwardly, and wherein said slide member may, if desired, be foldably connected at its lower edge with a bill compartment divider.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction as above described wherein the central portion of the slide is covered by a relatively short stay piece of finished leather, the latter having its ends projecting into the card pockets so that the slide may be formed of less expensive material.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction as above described wherein the usual central tab, which is foldable upwardly between the card pocketforming panels, is concealed from view in a novel manner while still being held in proper concealed position without the use of glue or stitches.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a billfold which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which is neat in appearance, which is durable, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purpose described.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the cut, scored and slit main blank showing the parts opened out;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the combination slide and divider showing the stay piece in position thereon, parts of the latter being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the assembled billfold in open condition, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view of the reverse side of the billfold from that shown in Fig. 3, parts being broken away and shown in section to bring out featuresof construction;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the main portion ofthe blank comprises a back 10 having front panel portions 11 and 12 foldably connected to one edge thereof on a'line of scoring 13. Foldably connected to the opposite edge of the back panel 10 along the line of scoring 14 is ah elongated'narrow flap 15. Projecting from the" endsof the" backpanel are end extensions 16 Fr C6 having tongues 17. Foldable from the upper edges of the front panels 11 and 12 along lines of scoring 18 are flaps 19, each flap having a slit 20 therein. The inner ends of the flaps 19 are preferably cut on a curve as at 21.

Formed from a separate piece of material is a combination slide and divider, as shown in Fig. 2, which includes a slide portion 22 and a billfold divider portion 23, the two portions being foldably connected along the line 24, and there preferably being an elongated opening or slot 25 extending for a short distance on the portion 23 along the line 24, intermediate the length of the divider 23. Spot-glued at 26 to the slide 22 is a stay member 27. The stay member covers approximately the central third of the slide 22, and is long enough to cover the ends of T-shaped tongues 28 which are cut out from the material of the slide 22.

In assembling the billfold, the flap 15 is folded against the inner side of the back wall 10 to project into the bill compartment, and the tabs 15 are preferably glued in position. The stay material 27 is cemented at 26 to the slide panel 22. The T-shaped ends of the tongues 28 of the slide member 22 are interlocked in the slits 20 in the panel flaps 19. The combination slide 22 and divider 23 is folded along line 24. The flaps 19 are folded along lines 18 together with the divider 23 and slide 22 combination. Tongue 30 which may have a T-shaped head 30' is inserted through slot 25 to extend inside of layer 22 and its T-shaped head 30 is then pushed through slit 35 to a position between the stay 27 and the slide 22. Then the front panels 11 and 12 and tongue 30 are folded upward along the bottom line 13. This brings the folded line of the divider-slide combination, line 24 of Fig. 2, at the bottom adjacent fold line 13 of the main portion of the billfold. Tongues 17 are then inserted in slits 29 of panels 11 and 12 and are glued to the underside of the panels. These tongues are preferably covered by a thin piece of material (not shown) which may be glued over the tongues on the inner side of the panels 11 and 12.

In this completed model the stay material 27 is exposed in the gap between panels 11 and 12, as shown in Fig. 3, and has its ends projecting into the card pockets formed between panels 11 and 12 and the slide 22 as also shown in Fig. 3. With this arrangement the tongues of the slide member flexibly connect the slide to the downwardly foldable flaps 19 of the front panels 11 and 12 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. 'This serves to hold the flaps 19 in the inserted position, and at the same time, flexibly connects the slide in place while allowing plenty of lateral freedom of movement during use. Thus, the billfold can adapt itself to the number of bills carried. The integral bill compartment divider 23, which need not be used, projects upwardlyas shown in Fig. 4, but as before mentioned, is an integral part of slide 22.

The central tongue 30, the main portion of which is behind the stay piece 27, can have the T-shaped top omitted, if desired, and can be tucked either between the 'stay piece 27 and the slide 22, or it may be inserted in the slot 25 to project between the slide and the bill compartment divider. In any event, it is neatly concealed at the front of the billfold and held in place without cementing or stitching.

With the above construction the stay piece 27 may be formed of relatively expensive leather to match the leather of the panels 11 and 12, While the slide 22 and divider 23 may be formed of less expensive material, as they are normally concealed. From Fig. 3 it is apparent that the ends of the stay piece 27 are loosely tucked into the open ends of the card pockets, the stay piece being held in place only by a central spot gluing at 26. Thus, the stay piece allows for relative sliding movement between the parts. Furthermore, the

ends of the stay piece cover the tongues 28 and prevent cards from catching in the tongues when cards are inserted in the pockets.

The connection between the downwardly foldable front panel flaps 19 and the slide, through the use of the tongues 28 and slits 20, provides a very flexible and yet firm connection between the slide and front panels and this same connection also serves to hold the bill compartment divider 23 because the latter is integral with the slide 22.

From the above description it is apparent that a very neat and yet simple stitchless billfold construction is provided, and it is also clear that all of the parts are firmly connected together by a relatively few tongue and slot connections.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a billfold having a back and having front panels folded upwardly from said back providing spaced apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, 21 flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, an elongated slide member within the billfold juxtaposed to said flaps spanning said gap, means flexibly connecting said slide member to said flaps, and a bill compartment divider foldably connected to the lower edge of said slide member and positioned within the billfold between the downwardly folded flaps and the back.

2. In a billfold having a back and having front panels folded upwardly from said back providing spaced apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps spanning said gap, means flexibly connecting said slide to said flaps, and a stay piece locally connected to the front portion of said slide member which spans said gap and having ends which are slidably inserted between said panels and their ilans.

3. In a billfold having a back and having front panels folded upwardly from said back providing spaced apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, the end of each flap which is near said gap having a slit therein, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps spanning said gap, and tongues in said slide member, each tongue being positioned to engage one of said slits and thereby flexibly connect said slide to said flaps, and a stay piece of less length than said slide member locally connected to the front portion of said slide member which spans said gap and having ends which are slidably inserted between said panels and their flaps, ends of said slide member covering the tongue and slit connections between the stap piece and flaps.

4. In a billfold having a back with a lower edge and having front panels folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back providing spaced apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, there also being a tab folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back and projecting into said gap between said front panels, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, each flap having a slit therein, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps and spanning said gap, a bill compartment divider connected on a fold line to the lower edge of said slide member and positioned within the billfold behind the slide member, there being a slot in said divider at said fold line between the divider and slide member and between said front panels, tongues in said slide member, each tongue being positioned to coact with the aforementioned slit in a flap to flexibly connect said slide member to said flaps, a stay piece locally connected to that portion of the slide member which spans said gap and having a loose lower edge, said tab being inserted in said slot which is between the slide member and bill compartment divider.

5. In a billfold having a back with a lower edge and having front panels folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back providing spaced apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, there also being a tab folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back and having a T-shaped upper end projecting into said gap between said front panels, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, each flap having a slit therein, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps and spanning said gap, a bill compartment divider connected on a fold line to the lower edge of said slide member and positioned within the billfold behind the slide member, there being a slot in said divider at said fold line between the divider and slide member and between said front panels and a slit in said slide member spaced above said slot, tongues in said slide member, each tongue being positioned to coact with one of said slits in the flaps to flexibly connect said slide member to said flaps, a stay piece 10- cally connected to that portion of the slide member which spans said gap and having a loose lower edge,'said tab being inserted in said slot which is between the slide member and bill compartment divider, and the T-shaped upper end being inserted back through said slit in the slide member.

6. In a billfold having a back with a lower edge and having front panels folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back providing spaced-apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, there also being a tab folded upwardly fromsaid lower edge of the back and projecting into said gap between said front panels, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps and spanning said gap, means flexibly connecting said slide member to said flaps, and a stap piece locally connected to that portion of the slide member which spans said gap and having a free lower edge near the lower edge of the billfold and having ends inserted behind the spaced-apart ends of the front panels, said tab being inserted in concealed position behind said free lower edge of said step piece between the stay piece and slide member.

7. In a billfold having a back with a lower edge and having front panels folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back providing spaced-apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, there also being a tab folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back and having a T-shaped upper end projecting into said gap between said front panels, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps and spanning said gap and having a slit in the portion which is in the gap, means flexibly connecting said slide member to said flaps, a stay piece locally connected to that portion of the slide member which spans said gap and having a free lower edge near the lower edge of the billfold, said tab being inserted beneath said free lower edge and between said stay piece and slide member, and the T-shaped upper end being engaged in said slit in the slide member.

8. In a billfold having a back with a lower edge and having front panels folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back providing spaced apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, there also being a tab folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back and projecting into said gap between said front panels, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, each flap having a slit therein, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps and spanning said gap, tongues in said slide, each tongue being positioned to coast with the aforementioned slit in a flap to flexibly connect said slide member to said flaps, and a stay piece locally connected to that portion of the slide member which spans said gap and having a loose lower edge near the lower edge of the billfold and having ends inserted behind the spacedapart ends of the front panels, said tab being inserted in concealed position behind said loose lower edge of said stay piece and held in upwardly folded position thereby.

9. In a billfold having a back with a lower edge and having front panels folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back providing spaced-apart ends intermediate the length of the billfold to provide a gap, there also being a tab folded upwardly from said lower edge of the back and projecting into said gap between said front panels, a flap folded downwardly from the upper edge of each panel on the inner side thereof, an elongated slide member within the billfold in front of said flaps spanning said gap, means flexibly connecting said slide to said flaps, and a stay piece locally connected to that portion of the slide member which spans said gap and having a loose lower edge near the lower edge of the billfold and having ends inserted behind the spaced-apart ends of the front panels, said tab being inserted in concealed position behind said loose lower edge of said stay piece and held in upwardly folded 10 position thereby.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 2,246,571 Buxton June 24, 1941 2,496,174 Pence Jan. 31, 1950 2,556,310 Whitmer June 12, 1951 2,642,912 Berger June 23, 1953 

